Helen Zhang

NSW

Completing such a long-term project and then presenting it in a formal setting to a panel of judges was a real character-building experience. I think many of my organisational skills and verbal and written communication abilities were very much developed and boosted by my experience with BHPFSEA.

What problems have you noticed in your daily life, and how can you improve them? Or have you seen a story on the news and wondered if there was a solution to the problem or answer to a question.  At the heart of every good investigation, is a problem or question that someone is passionate about.

Helen Zhang (Engineering Finalist 2017) was passionate about solving a problem that was a frustration of daily life for herself and many others - running out of phone or tablet battery whilst out-and-about.

I came up with my project through my personal pet peeves – namely, my phone always running out of battery, especially on the commute home. I started thinking of ways of charging our devices on the go that were less cumbersome and more environmentally friendly than portable phone chargers, and this triggered my research into alternative sources of energy. The most appropriate one winded up being solar energy, so then I started exploring designs of existing portable chargers and seeing how I could create a more integrated design that would eliminate the need to carry a separate item. Eventually, this led to my invention, which was essentially a solar panel embedded into a phone case.

As an Awards engineering finalist, Helen built a prototype of her design and presented a working model to the panel of judges. During the judging process she explained her design thinking, how the system works, challenges she faced and how she overcame them. The process helped Helen develop valuable skills in organisation and communication.

Completing such a long-term project and then presenting it in a formal setting to a panel of judges was a real character-building experience. I think many of my organisational skills and verbal and written communication abilities were very much developed and boosted by my experience with BHPFSEA. I now use these as a tutor and more generally in my degree, which requires a high degree of clear and concise articulation.

Nowadays Helen is busy completing a Bachelor of Law and Economics at the University of Sydney but she never strays far from the STEM world; one semester she undertook an elective subject from the School of Engineering. Helen believes science and engineering thinking is crucial for understanding the world around us, no matter what area you are studying or working in.

[Science] offers a unique understanding of the world, and personally, I think having an appreciation for Science translates to a wonder about the complexity of the mechanisms of the world and the incredible leaps in discovery that the human race has made over the decades.

As a valued member of our Alumni Network, Helen is looking forward to reconnecting with her like-minded peers as well as welcoming new members in the future. For aspiring students, she has some exceptionally useful advice:

At the heart of a good investigation is a problem or question that you’re passionate about. Of course, there’s also other technical elements: thorough and expansive research, consideration of alternatives and existing solutions, and mentorship. Don’t hesitate to ask someone to help, or to just bounce your ideas off!

If things don’t work the way you expect, don’t panic. While you do your investigation or work through your project, you should be keeping a detailed log of what you’re doing and when you’re doing it. That way, you can pinpoint what hasn’t worked, and that goes towards finding out why it hasn’t worked. Ask [about] and research similar cases – this can really help you find your mistake. And if you still can’t figure it out, don’t hesitate to try something else! This is why it’s so important to manage your time carefully and give yourself a bit of space to make mistakes.

Learn more about Helen’s project here.